Outlet-box cover.



P. WENN.

OUTLET BOX COVER.

APPLICATlON FILED DEC. i3. 1917.

WIT/M8858 [NVE TUR Tofu/Yip [fez'n/ Ulf.' MORRIS PETERS CII. PIIDTOJJIMG., WAJIHNCYUN, n C

Patented Nov. 5,1918.

il FIE.

PHILIP KLEIN, or nnookrzrreivnw Yoan, assreivort or Quarrata To Messrs no'rrr,

\ or `new voxan, 1v. r.

"OUTLET-BOX COVER. 'im

Lesaeoa.

specification of Leners Patent.

Patented Nov.` 5, 1918.`

replication area :necessaria 1917. serial no. accese.

To all fac/wm t may concern:

Be it known `that I, `Ir-rmir KLEIN,- a citi-` zenof the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borouglrof Brooklyn., in the county of Kings and State of New York,`have invented a new and Improved utlet-Box Cover, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

rlhis invention relates toelectric wiring attachment details and hasparticular reference to outlet boxes `adapted for ceilings,

walls, or the like. j

Among the objects of the invention is to provide an improved type or design of outlet box cover having more reliable means for securing the cover to the box than is ordinarily employed. The means commonly.`

used to secure a box cover to the box is of such a nature, one of several faults or diili? culties 1s almost sure to exist. First, because of the inconvenience of operating at thefceiling it is a difficult expedientto connect the fastening means at such place. From this fact it follows that theconnectionsare frequent-ly faulty, leaving the cover insecurely means being of the simplest possible form and because of the simplicity of the most reliable nature.

With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the arrangement and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and while the invention is not restricted to the exact details of construction disclosed or suggested herein, still for the purpose of illustrating a practical embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate j the same parts in the several views, and in which Figure l is a vertical central sectional view showing my improvement applied to a ceiling for a drop light; and

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the same, a portion of the cover being broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, I show an outlet box 10 which perse flight or elsewhere. `with a plurality of holes, one of which is indicated at 19 in the center thereof and the is or may be of any well known or approved construction and adapted to`be secured to the ceilingl or wall in permanent position by screwsll or otherwise. Boxes of this type` are usually constructed with a plurality of holes 12 through which any desired number of wire cords 13 may extend. The box furthermore usually provided with a central nipple 14:, externally threadechand having a central bore for a gas pipe connection. As commonly practised the box may be flush with the outer surface of the plaster 15, or it may be above or below said surface, it not being infrequent for the box to be located as much as an inch or more within the surface of the'jplaster. i

1G indicates a box cover which per se is not materially di'erent from box covers heretofore used, the same being designed as a neat ornamental closure device for the box and as a means to inclose either the free ends of any idle wires 13, or the joints 17 `between said wires and the cord 18 leadingto` the `drop The cover is provided other is indicated at 2O at one side of the center. The hole 19 is in axial alinement with the hole through the nipple 14E while the periphery or rim 21 of the coveris adapted to seat directly upon the surface of the plaster or ceiling irrespective of the precise depth or location of the box with respect to said surface. j

The readers attention is now called to the novel means for` securing the cover to the box. This securing means comprises a cap 22 having direct threaded engagement with the outer end of the nipple and having an imperforate base or body serving as a closure for the hole through the nipple so that if the box is employed as a combination the cap constitutes a gas tight closure orl plug. 'I'he cap is provided with a central boss 23 into which is tapped a hole 23 in i90 the axis of the hole 19, so that the hole 23 does not extend through the base or body of the cap. 9A indicates a 'finger piece indi.- cated as in the nature of a rosette of a somewhat ornamental appearance, but adapted i015 date one end of a screw 26, the other end of 110 tive of the depth of the box within the sur- Y face -of they ceiling or. wall. The operator. -in making his connections applies the cap to the nipple 14 and 'then deterinineslthe properllength for the screw 26. j When this is. determined he clips 'oil1v the' screw at the proper length and 'screws it either into the linger kpiece 24 or elseinto'the cap boss 28,

-, imposition to make 'inal' connection with the otherpa'rt'with the'cover in placeand with Vthe cord 18 passing' through the fhole 20.." When the 4linger pieceris then rotated the screw will be securely -iixed in botlrparts 4Qffyand 25` andfthefcover will be claniped irinly in place making aneat and effective closure =for fthebox!v llt will thusbeseen thatthe means for connectingthe cover to the Ybox Awillbe positiveand easily applied? irres"peetivel ofthe distance between the box and the cover.A Furtherinoreditisobvious that the cover-may easilybe disconnected when desiredY by;y simply unscrewinlg the finger piece. `The hub 25 lits intothe cen 1- tral hole 19 of the cover and keeps the cover well centered even though the -riin 21 of` the cover may be remote froinpthe outeredge` or rim of the box.

will so hold the cover 16 that there can be no vibration or wiggling of the cover even though the weight of the drop light may be borne upon it. When the splicing of the wires is eii'ected and the joint or joints are inclosed by the cover 16 and the cover is locked in place as already described there can be no danger of any metallic connections that would cause any short circuit or ground such as is so likely to occur in box covers non' in coinnion use where the cover-holding screws must be passed into place through the space in which the splice or splices lie.

yIclai'ni: 'l The combination with an outlet box having a projecting 'tubular nipple and a cover having a hole in axial alinement with said nipple, of'y connectin vineans between the box and cover comprising a cap secured to the end of thenipple and serving as a closure for the same, said cap having a hole tapped into and partially throughthe sanne in `axial alineinent with the cover hole, a finger piece having a slnoothhub journaled in the cover, said hub having a tapped hole therein in alinement with the cap hole, and a screw of selective length having itsends fitted in said cap hole and finger piece re spectively. l j PHILIIJ KLEIN.

Copies: of ythis. patent may be obtained for ve cents each, addressing the"Commissioner cf' Patents,

' v Washington, 1 ).0." 

